The rare occasion I hate individuality
I’m a big believer in individuality.
You only get one life, so you should live it on your terms.
With the obvious caveat of, “so long as you let others do the same”.
Freedom and individual liberties are beautiful, wonderful things. Cultures heavy on conformity are stable, I guess, but I’d struggle to live by someone else’s playbook.
For me, the scariest thing about the last couple of years hasn’t been the virus - it’s been how eager so many folks were to surrender their rights. It turns out fascists could be able to win over a lot of people over, so long as they market themselves right.
Life is more interesting when we can be ourselves. If you feel that being gay, a different gender or a different species is best for you, then go for it. Fill your boots! You have my support and acceptance.
I’d rather see the real you than someone you think you’re supposed to be. Show me your face, not the mask.
Be uniquer.
Be so individualistic that you don’t even let the rules of English hold you back.
I trust you get the point.
Having said that…
You can have more fun, express yourself more and connect to something greater by surrendering to a group.
It just has to be the right group… not to mention the right surrender.
Think about a concert. Everyone is pressed together, dancing in their own way, but no one dances alone. You all dance to the same rhythm. You respond to the dancers around you - matching them, mirroring them, falling into synchronisation.
The boundaries between you and the others and the music all fade away.
You merge into the greater whole.
It’s a beautiful thing to lose yourself to a crowd like this. You come out of it transformed, maybe even healed. You are finite, but a crowd feels limitless.
The only thing that could stop that is some loser wanting to do their own thing, like someone dancing to the beat of a different song. Or if that loser is that voice in your head, too caught up in your own shit to let go.
Evolution hardwired an appreciation for group rituals into us. It was how our ancestors became tribes.
Singing and dancing around a fire as one allowed them to hunt as one, travel as one, defend as one and strive as one.
As we’ve all learned, live music can come and go.
Even singing can be deemed too dangerous.
But gaming is safe, for now. Whether in person or online, coming together to play games is a potent group ritual. Even competitive games bond folks together - if they’re mature enough to handle loss gracefully, that is. And if they’re not, this is a great way to learn that skill.
To take this to the next level, though?
Immerse yourself in a character, join up with your party and go defeat your enemies.
Want some help with that?
You’ll need to find the right group on your own.
Once you do that - whether you’re a player or a GM - I have some free resources to help you be amazing.
Find them here: